How to Invest and Find Good Quality Hair Extensions

Worth the Wait

My mother has always told me, "If you're going to do something, do it right."
Wearing hair extensions is more than just a fad. Some women choose to wear hair extensions as their primary hairstyle despite how long or short their natural hair is. Other women want to wear extensions because they struggle with their hair growth.
With hair extensions, you can take a break from your daily styling routine and experiment with different hairstyles without compromising your natural hair health.
While picking up hair from your local beauty supply is the most comfortable option, it's worth the wait to order your hair from a more reputable source.

A Great Hairstyle Starts with Great Hair

Due to the popularity of wearing weaves, different types of hair extensions are readily attainable.
Beauty supply stores and e-commerce sites provide consumers with an array of choices at a low price. Getting your hair done on a regular basis can be expensive. But you should never compromise the quality of your hair extensions for a quick and cheap result. Purchasing hair from a beauty supply store or an unknown website is a risky decision.
Before you book your next weave style, you need to know how to find quality hair extensions that you deserve.

It's About to Get Real

The first decision you need to make when you purchase hair extension is only to wear 100% human hair.
The only exception to wearing synthetic hair is if you are getting a braided style. In that case, wearing synthetic hair for a short period is acceptable. Even if everyone knows that your extensions are not your natural hair, you still want them to look and feel natural. I've yet to see a hairstyle that looks best with synthetic hair. 100% human hair extensions are the most flattering way to wear your weaves.
If you aim to wear human hair, you'll be hard-pressed to find it at a beauty supply store. Purchasing hair by the pack from a beauty supply store is a risky choice. First, most of the hair labeled as 100% human at beauty suppliers is not human hair at all.
Most of the hair beauty suppliers carry are a mixture of human hair and other synthetic fibers.

Buyer Beware

In some cases, many of the hair extension packs found in beauty supply stores contain animal hair.
This silent dupe can cause issues with styling and other possibly other irritations, like skin allergies. As a consumer, you deserve to know what you're wearing. It shouldn't require much searching to find your answers. Only purchase hair from reputable sites like Private Label Extensions. The satisfaction of buying hair at a low price is not worth the possible repercussions of putting unknown materials into your hair.
If you're planning to apply heat to your extensions, then they have to be 100% human hair. While some synthetic weaves promise that they can handle heat styling, the majority will not perform well under high temperatures. Purchasing human hair gives you a high level of expectation for your extensions and how they will respond to products and hair tools.
Picking up a few packs of hair from your local beauty supply store is an easy fix but doing so is making a poor investment in your hair choice. If you're purchasing hair from a web-based business, you need to make sure that the company has information about the origin of the hair as well as how to care for the hair on their website. Modern technology has made starting a hair business attainable.
However, it's essential to have confidence that you're purchasing from a vendor that is serious about selling top quality weave to their customers. The hair sold on Private Label Extensions website is 100% human hair with zero synthetic fillers.
Visit PLE's website if you've been searching for quality hair to purchase for personal use or to start your own hair extension business.

Beauty by the Bundle

How your hair arrives matters. Buying your hair in a bundle is another excellent way to ensure that you purchased quality hair.
Hair that is sold by the bundle is some of the highest quality hair that you can buy. Usually, this hair has been sourced from a trusted supplier and does not contain any foreign elements.
Bundle hair is typically from the same locale, rather than hair from all over the world in one pack like the hair from a beauty supply store. While bundle hair is more expensive than hair by the package, you're getting more bang for your buck. PLE hair is denser, unprocessed, and there's more hair to a single bundle than there is to a single pack of hair.
Making the initial investment in purchasing hair by the bundle might cause a bit of a blow to your wallet. But over time you'll be able to reap the benefits of your wise purchase. Hair that is sold by the bundle also lasts longer.
You will be able to wear your hairstyle longer, and, if you take proper care of your hair, you'll also be able to reuse it for multiple installs.
Here are 5 "musts" to extending the life of your extensions:

Number One: Must Use A Heat Protectant

Don't fall victim to the thought that just because the hair isn't growing out of your head that it doesn't need protection.
100% human extensions, like hair from PLE, is just as susceptible to heat damage as is natural hair. Make sure that you're always protecting your hair with a spray or cream-based heat protectant before you use your heat tools.

Number Two: Keep them Clean

That's right; extensions get dirty. As you wear your extensions, you need to keep up with your usual cleaning routine.
But, once you remove your extensions, you need to give them an excellent clarifying cleaning before you stow them away for future use. Allowing product build-up and debris to sit on the hair will only interfere with the integrity of your extensions.

Number Three: Add Moisture

Regularly conditioning your extensions and applying a light oil will help keep them in pristine condition.
Make sure that you're using a deep conditioner that is appropriate for the type of extensions you're wearing. Also, you should apply oil to your ends only a few times a week to avoid interfering with the hair texture.

Number Four: Protect the Weft

The weft is the thick seam at the top of your extensions that allows for them to be sewn or glued into your hair.
The weft is the only lifeline that your extensions have. Without the weft, you will have single hair strands that are falling all over the place. Make sure that your hair is installed by a professional that won't put too much stress on the weft.
As you wear your hairstyle, make sure that you're not handling them too rough as it's possible to pull the hairs off the weft.

Number Five: Store Them With Care

When you're not wearing your extensions, don't just throw them in a bag in and expecting them to look amazing the next time you wear them. Store them properly!
Once your hair has been removed and cleaned, it's best that you hang your weave to dry. If you can't hang it up, then lay it on a flat surface to dry. After your hair has been dried thoroughly, gently roll it back up like how it was when it first arrived to maintain it's texture while storing it.
Loosely secure it with an elastic band and store it in a plastic bag away from direct light, moisture, and heat.

Don't Trust the Process

When it comes to finding good quality hair extensions, don't purchase processed hair.
While the hair extensions that are sold in beauty supply stores, labeled as virgin hair, are still treated hair. Selecting a vendor that sells only unprocessed hair is the best choice when buying for quality. Processed hair means that an acidic bath that strips the hair shaft and chemically alters the natural appearance of the hair.
The act of processing hair extensions removes the cuticles from the hair. That means that by the time you've purchased it, that hair has already been through stress even before you add heat, color, or style it. An even bigger issue with removing the cuticles from the hair shaft is that the hair won't function as natural hair would under certain conditions.
The cuticles of our hair help to protect the hair shaft. They are also the gateway to allowing moisture in and out. Without your hair cuticles, your extensions cannot correctly retain moisture.
No cuticles on the hair strand mean that they are more likely to become dry and result in heat damage merely because they cannot protect themselves.

Trust Your Instincts

Sometimes everything you need to know is right in front of your eyes.
If you're shopping for hair extensions at a beauty supply store, they should have a sample of the hair in the store that is available for you to see, touch, and smell. If you purchased your bundles from a hair vendor, don't wait until your appointment to inspect the hair.
It's vital that you do not ignore the red flags. If the hair you purchased had an unpleasant odor, it's likely that you've received poor quality hair. Any odd smells coming from your extensions are an indicator that the hair is poor quality. It's essential that you thoroughly inspect the hair and the hair weft. You need to check and make sure that the length you received is accurate.
When you touch the hair, it should feel smooth. It doesn't matter if you purchased Vietnamese hair or Brazilian kinky hair. The hair should feel soft and manageable. As you touch the hair, if you notice that you feel dry, brittle pieces then you probably received poor quality hair.
Don't stop your inspection upon receiving the hair. It's also imperative to pay attention to how the hair behaves once the hair is installed. Hair that does not respond well to heat styling is another red flag. If the hair will not straighten or has a hard time conforming to a curl, then it's probably low-quality hair that is treated.
I love to wear the Brazilian Body Wave extensions from PLE. I only brush my extensions twice per day, in the morning and again at night. It doesn't matter if I wear the hair straight, curled, or in its natural wave, I never deal with matting or knots.
The hair from Private Label Extensions is the best quality hair on the market, and your investment in your PLE hair goes a long way.

Keep It To Yourself

A tell-tale sign that you haven't purchased good quality hair is shedding.
If you notice that you're leaving a trail of weave behind you as you walk, then you're not wearing hair of good quality. If the hair you're wearing is straight or wavy, then make sure you're brushing it with a paddle or vented brush.
You only want to detangle it when the hair is wet if the hair you purchased is curly or kinky. It's best to use a wide-toothed comb or a Denman brush on textured hair.
After you've detangled your hair, you should only have a few strands of hair leftover in your brush. Giant wads of hair coming out of your weave after one datable is a red flag.

Quality Is Never Too Much

Investing in good quality hair extensions can be a costly move. Even if your style is temporary, the hair that you purchase doesn't have to be.
Take your time, do your research and make sure that you fully understand what you're purchasing. I strongly caution you to avoid buying hair extensions from beauty supply stores and explore other options like purchasing from Private Label Extensions. Do let cost deter you, PLE offers good quality hair at an affordable price. You can also sign up to receive text messages about their flash sales!
Leave a comment below and share how you know you've purchased good quality hair. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @privatelabelextensions and tag us in your selfies wearing your PLE hair extensions!